Disputation IX:

The task of the tzadik in establishing and renewing covenant

Y'shua said if any man would come after him, he should "take up his own cross" and follow him. This is understood in a variety of ways by Christian theologians and writers, but according to Halachah, it would define one who is willing to suffer on behalf of others -- or the role of a tzadik in making a tikkun. The tzadik must rectify spiritually the very judgments for which his followers are suffering. In the case of the Assimilation of the Northern Tribes  to which Y'shua was sent, this means the rectification of the judgments of Yizra'el, Lo-ruhammah and Lo-Ami, which are addressed in the prophecies about Y'shua as recorded in the reNewed Testament before his birth and at his infancy. It would be blasphemy to suggest that a tzadik was Deity and we submit that Y'shua never made this assertion. Indications otherwise can be attributed to attempting to understand the renewal of covenant with a reNewed Testament rather than a Torah foundation, Torah concepts muddied in the waters of Greek mindsets and cultures or the theological presuppositions of Byzantine redactors of the text, more concerned with accommodating the idolatry and pagan ways of heathens flocking to the early Church. However, the Torah sages agree that one who "manifests" the Torah and overcomes his evil inclination is such a tzadik who has unique spiritual powers, including the capacity to become a covenant for the people to whom he is sent.

05 Thesis:

The Disputations

Disputation Series IX:

The task of the tzadik in establishing and renewing covenant

The mystic sages of the Torah believed that the 22 Hebrew letters were matched in 11 pairs of "form mates." The 18th letter, tzadi*, which stands for the tzadik*, is mated with the first letter, alef*, which represents the Aluf* or "Master of Creation."

The tzadik and God: A privileged relationship

Talmud Shabbat 59b describes the privileged relationship between God and His tzadik: "The tzadik decrees and the Holy One, blessed be He, realizes." Likutey Moharan 1:2 similarly states, "All prayers are elevated to God by his (the tzadik’s) prayer." Proverbs 10:25 states: "The tzadik is the foundation of the world." And Joes must keep in mind that Yoseif was the only son of Jacob who is called a tzadik in the Scripture and his overriding attribute is that of yesod* or foundation.

To understand exegetically the relationship between the tzadik and God and his intercession with God on behalf of others, we go back to the Aramaic root of the word, which means, "to hunt." The love between Isaac and his son, Esau, was according to Torah Or 20c, "Isaac’s hunt for fallen Divine sparks trapped in Esau; these sparks being great souls." For the same reason, Jacob deceived Esau into surrendering the right of the firstborn, which would eventually be given to Ephraim, the second-born son of Joseph.

The hand that rescues souls

The tzadi, which represents the tzadik, is a letter formed by the combination of two other Hebrew letters, a yad* or hand and a nun*, which according to Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:4 is "the congregation of Israel." The Arizal said the hand works with the pey*, which represents the "mouth" of God, thereby transmitting Divine revelation to the congregation of Israel. However, others see the form of the letter tzadi as the hand that rescues the souls of Israel, thus the saying in Tanya 2 charging the tzadik to revive all the souls of his generation.

The tzadik cannot escape the hand of God or his charge to "hunt" for the souls of Israel. Because the surviving men of Benjamin hunted for their soul mates among the other tribes of Israel after the entire tribe was judged for abusing the concubine of a Levite, the mystic sages refer to Benjamin as "the lower tzadik" charged with the hunt. However, Joseph personifies the "higher tzadik" who reconnects the souls of Israel with the Divine revelation via his "atonement for their souls." Atonement is understood in this mystical context as the job solely of the tzadik to "cleanse the souls of Israel and connect fallen sparks." However, it takes the foundation of Joseph and the hesed* (the quality of ignoring offenses and exercising kindness) of Benjamin – both the higher and lower tzadikim working in concert -- to bring about this Exodus of souls from exile.

Because of his passion for the congregation of Israel, the tzadik is known by the mystics as a "runner between worlds." He brings the spiritual needs of the congregation to God and returns with Divine answers, thus straddling this world and the world to come.

Scriptural pattern for the atonement

The Scriptural pattern for the atonement relates to the suffering of the tzadik, which is orchestrated by the Hand of Heaven. Isaiah 49:6 spells out a two-pronged mission of an anointed servant to "raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel" on the one hand, and to also be given as "a light to the nations, that my salvation may be unto the end of the earth."

The verse states that the former mission, raising up Israel, is the easy or "light" task compared to the latter. The renewal of covenant to bring this about is mentioned two verses later in verse 8: It clearly relates to the n’tzirei Yisrael* (preserved of Israel) in verse 6.

Suffering: Price of covenant renewal

But this covenant comes at a heavy price for this servant as reflected in the sufferings of Isaiah 53. Y’shua also recognized the role of suffering for any tzadik who should come after him. If any man would come after him, he said, that man should "take up his own cross" and follow his lead. This is understood in a variety of ways by Christian theologians and writers, but in the world of the Hasid*, it would define one who is willing to suffer on behalf of others -- or the role of a tzadik in making a tikkun* (repair or remedy of a covenantal relationship).

The Renewed Testament also states that those who would be partakers of God’s glory must suffer.

The tzadik is "looked upon by his disciples and adherents as the "living incarnation of the Torah," or to borrow the Renewed Testament idiom, "the Word made flesh." He must rectify spiritually the very judgments for which his followers are suffering. In the case of the Assimilation of the Northern Tribes to which Y'shua was sent, this means the rectification of the judgments of Yizra'el, Lo-ruhammah and Lo-Ami,* which are addressed in the prophecies about Y'shua as recorded in the Renewed Testament before his birth and at his infancy

The source of the tzadik's spiritual powers

It would be blasphemy to suggest that a tzadik was Deity and we submit that Y'shua never made this assertion. Indications otherwise can be attributed to attempting to understand the renewal of covenant with a Renewed Testament focus rather than a Torah foundation. Torah concepts have been muddied by the waters of Greek mindsets and cultures or the theological presuppositions of Byzantine redactors of the text. Historical accounts show that these monks were more concerned with accommodating the idolatry and pagan ways of heathens flocking to the early Church. However, the Torah sages agree that one who "manifests" the Torah and overcomes his evil inclination is such a tzadik who has unique spiritual powers, including the capacity to become a covenant for the people to whom he is sent. (Rabbi Nachman's Tikkun, Breslov Research Institute, 1984, page 100).

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